The Case Study House in Wolfpassing is a renovated family home with a cross-laminated timber (CLT) extension, located just one hour from Vienna, Austria. When the original house was designed in the 1960s, the architect was likely inspired by Richard Neutra's or Ray and Charles Eames's Case Study Houses in Los Angeles. The original bungalow featured a large terrace and was in harmony with the surrounding nature. One characteristic tree was even incorporated into the terrace itself. Exceptional features include the natural stone walls, a fireplace that can be heated inside or out, and the location in a beautiful little park.
This jewel has now been completely renovated and extended using CLT. The entire design demonstrates the need for precise static calculations and high-quality craftsmanship.
Special features of the original house included natural stone walls and a fireplace made of local granulite.
The new design concept by Backraum Architektur is entirely based on Californian models. The natural stone walls were preserved in their entirety, even if this required special solutions and a high level of detail in construction and planning. The result is an industrial-looking building with wooden and steel beams, an open floor plan, and large windows, in which every possible static solution has been exhausted. The building blends in with the surrounding nature thanks to the integration of a tree into the natural stone terrace and an open pergola..
Some of the existing building was demolished, some was thermally renovated, and an extension was added. The original rectilinear shape of the building has largely been restored. The restored fireplace now acts as the focal point and heart of the house.
The low-rise, industrial-looking building blends into nature and becomes part of it. This is evident on the terrace, which is covered by a pergola and shaded by a golden rain tree.
The steel, stone and wood construction creates generous open spaces inside.
Unlike the old building, which was made of brick, the new building is made of wood. The interior and exterior walls were built using a timber-frame construction method and cross-laminated timber was used for the ceiling elements. The house is insulated with softwood fibre. The larch wood façade blends in with the ochre tones of the natural stone. It has been treated with iron salts to speed up the natural ageing process and achieve a grey-brown colour.
